Lord Warner: The Department of Health has been advised by the Health Protection Agency that there are many different types of cancer the causes of which are multifactorial rather than there being a single cause for any particular type of cancer, and this should be recognised. It is known that lifestyle factors such as smoking, consumption of alcoholic beverages, physical activity/obesity, and also occupational exposure to certain chemicals in the past, especially asbestos, have a major influence on cancer incidence. It is very difficult to estimate the burden due to environmental factors but the available data are summarised as follows.
	Exposure to ionizing radiation is known to produce leukaemia and other cancers, although there is little direct data available on the burden of disease from this cause. Exposure to radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas, is a cause of lung cancer and there is a markedly increased risk in smokers. It has been estimated that about 2 per cent. of cancer deaths in Europe may be due to radon. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight increases the risk of skin cancer.
	There is little convincing evidence to indicate that environmental exposure to chemicals in the United Kingdom causes cancer. However exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (passive smoking) is known to be associated with a 10-30 per cent. increase in lung cancer.
	Additionally, dietary factors are estimated to account for approximately 30 per cent. of cancers in industrialised countries—making diet only second to tobacco as a preventable cause of cancer. In particular, obesity is associated with an increase in risk of some cancers such as colorectal and breast cancers while increasing the intake of fruit and vegetables and physical activity is associated with decreased risk.

Lord Strathclyde: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 8 December (WA 118), why no ministerial meetings were held with representatives of El Salvador and Guatemala to discuss assistance with reconstruction and recovery following Hurricane Stan, bearing in mind the estimates that the hurricane inflicted damage equivalent to 3.4 per cent. of Guatemala's gross domestic product and 2.25 per cent. of that of El Salvador; and whether they will initiate discussions about bilateral assistance to Central American countries in such circumstances.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The number of reports (commonly known as suspicious activity reports) made to the National Criminal Intelligence Service, under the provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and the Money Laundering Regulations 2003, over the 12 month period December 2004–November 2005, is around 192,253. The final figure for the whole of 2005 will be available by the end of January.

Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe: Kazakhstan Election

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Based on the limited data we have been able to obtain from affected pension schemes, this is our best estimate of the number of members of eligible schemes likely to be within the next three years of scheme pension age and have less the 80 per cent. of their core pension rights covered by their schemes.

Police Reorganisation

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	With respect to the fatality on the rail line at Radley in the morning of 6 December (a) what were the reasons for the police declaring the site a scene of crime; (b) over what period the line was closed to trains; (c) in what capacity the Railway Accident Investigation Branch was involved; and (d) how many passenger train delay minutes were attributed to this incident.